Mini Apple Pies

I don’t know if you can tell . . . but I adore apple season. Apple is just such a great ingredient to incorporate into desserts. Proof? My apple galette and apple cider cupcakes (just saying). This week the focus is on this buttery, juicy, and irresistible apple pie dessert.

There are so many things I love about this recipe. First, it’s what I call “serving size friendly.” If you have an apple pie craving to satisfy, then you don’t have to worry about slicing a piece of pie (or making an entire pie for that matter). With these mini apple pies, you can literally just grab and go. They’re great for when you’re rushing and want a pastry on the way to work, or when you want to pack a sweet treat in your lunch bag. Second, they’re perfect for a crowd. It’s a portable and convenient dessert to bring to a picnic, potluck, or even to leave in the workplace break room. Finally, these apple pies keep well—store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days or in freezer for up to 3 months. Oh and another bonus reason is that they’re absolutely delicious.

These mini apple pies are the perfect fall treat. So put those freshly picked fall apples to use—you won’t regret it. Just don’t forget to add a scoop of ice cream on the side.

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Buttery, flaky crust. Juicy apple cinnamon-spiced filling. Plus caramel drizzle and a side of ice cream. This miniature spin on a classic dessert is sure to impress.

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Apple pie, fall, mini dessert

Pies & Tarts

Yield: 12 mini pies

Author: Anna-Nicole Cooke

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Mini Apple Pies

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 25 Mininactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 3 H & 25 M

Buttery, flaky crust. Juicy apple cinnamon-spiced filling. Plus caramel drizzle and a side of ice cream. This miniature spin on a classic dessert is sure to impress.

Ingredients

For the pie dough

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
• ¾ cup ice-cold water (12 tablespoons)

For the filling

• 2 large apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
• ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water

Optional

• Egg wash (1 lightly beaten egg + 1 tablespoon water or milk)
• Coarse sugar (for sprinkling)
• Caramel sauce

Instructions

To make the pie dough

1.  In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, and salt. Chill the mixture in the fridge for approximately 30 minutes.
2.  Cut 1 cup of cold, unsalted butter (2 sticks) into small pieces. Transfer the butter bits into a sealable plastic bag. Chill the bag in the fridge alongside the dry ingredients. (You want very cold butter to make dough.) For added measure, I like to transfer the butter to the freezer for 5-10 minutes before I combine it with the other ingredients in the next step.
3.  Remove the dry ingredients and butter from the fridge. Using a pastry cutter, "cut in the butter" (technical term meaning incorporate it) into the flour mixture. Gradually add in half of the ice-cold water—doing so one tablespoon at a time—as you cut in the butter. The dough will be crumbly.
4.  Transfer the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and knead. As you knead, gradually drizzle in the remaining ice-cold water. The dough should start coming together and become less sticky.
5.  Gather the pie dough into a ball and cut it in half. Shape each ball into a disc. Cover each disc tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. When ready to bake, remove the pie disc from the fridge and leave it on the counter to warm up for a few minutes. Then roll out the dough to about ¼ of an inch.

To make the filling

1.  Peel and core the apples. Dice them in small cubes.
2.  Toss the apples with the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and a pinch of salt.
3.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Adjust the heat setting to medium-low heat, and stir in the apple mixture. Simmer for approximately 7 minutes until the apples have softened.
4.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. Add the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes until the filling has thickened.
5.  Remove the filling from the heat and set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes.

To make the hand pies

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.  Roll out your pie dough (either homemade or store-bought). Use a 3.5-inch cookie cutter to cut out 12 circles per disc (you'll have 24 pie circles total). Chill the pie circles for at least 15 minutes before assembling. (The colder the dough is, the better it holds its shape while baking.)
3.  Place one dough circle onto the parchment paper. Spoon the filling into the center of each pie, leaving a ½ inch perimeter around the edges. It's okay if the sauce spills out a bit. Cover with a second dough circle. Seal the edges. Use a fork to crimp the edges. Cut two small slits in the top of each pie. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
4.  After assembling, brush the top of each crust with egg wash (1 lightly beaten egg + 1 tablespoon of water or milk). Sprinkle coarse sugar over the top of the hand pies.
5.  Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the pies are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.
6.  Remove from the baking sheet and transfer the pies to a wire rack. Let cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy with a scoop of ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Notes:

- This recipe makes a double pie crust. However, you can also use a store-bought crust for this recipe. - Even if you don’t have a pastry cutter for step 2, you can still make this recipe (trust me, I’ve made this pie crust many times before I invested in a pastry cutter). But warning, it can be very difficult to incorporate the cold butter into the flour mixture using a substitute like a fork or wooden spoon. - You can use any type of apples for the filling, but I prefer Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Granny Smith especially lends a nice tart flavor to complement the sweetness of the filling.

https://www.anna-nicolebakes.com/recipes/miniapplepies

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